Trips

Test your physical stamina on this 13.4-miler over rugged terrain with wild elevation challenges. The reward: vistas, hoodoos, and petroglyphs.

This 15-mile riverside hike is located in the southern tip of New Mexico's highest range, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Tag New York's high point on this 14.2-miler into a mix of forest and broken rock, with jaw-dropping vantages of the High Peaks and Green Mountains.

Tucked into a corner of the Taconic Mountains, this hardy 6.1-mile route hits the state's highest peak. Or is it second-highest? What the heck-climb both.

Big climb. Big crowds. Bigger reward. This classic 9.8-mile route climbs the tallest peak in Maine, a hiking high point in every sense.

Paddle to an old military fort and visit several quaint Down East islands on this 6.8-mile trip around the rocky fingers of Maine's coast.

Go ahead: Bag work early and swing off the Beltway for a quick 4-mile hike or trail run through the rolling piedmont of Prince William Forest Park.

Explore reclaimed wetlands, two islands, and a hawk preserve on a 5.3-mile figure-8 loop in a pastoral getaway just outside the city of Salem.

This 9.1-miler follows a windswept ridge in the Danskin Mountains and ends with views of Boise, the Arrowrock Reservoir, and surrounding peaks.

Visit four waterfalls amid huge Douglas firs and boulders carpeted in shaggy moss on this 3.4-mile lollipop loop in the Columbia River Gorge.

This newer 5-mile dayhike in the Issaquah Alps offers a bracing workout and great views, all within 30 minutes of downtown.

Hike through mossy woods to a waterfall and over the high point of Cougar Mountain Regional Park-all on a 5-mile dayhike.

Here are just four of the many reasons to walk this 7.6-mile route in northern Georgia: wildflowers, mountain streams, waterfalls, and lots of wildlife.

See gators, sea turtles, and life-list birds on this 3.7-miler in Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, one of the Gulf Coast's last undeveloped tracts.

This 7.3-mile out-and-back has all the highlights you expect from a Smokies outing: trailside streams, old-growth timber stands, and a raging waterfall.

Scattered along this 11.3-mile dayhike (or overnighter) is a bumper crop of mountain views, considered some of the best in southern Virginia.

Connect dune-lined shores, secluded inlets, and marshlands Hamlin Lake on this 4.9-mile paddle in Ludington State Park.

Pick one or both of these short, scenic loops to see limestone bluffs, cypress and palmetto forests, and maybe a gator in the marshes of the Suwannee.

This 6.9-mile circuit in the Ouachita Mountains scopes craggy outcrops, climbs through secluded oak-and-pine hollows, and follows an Indian trail.

This 7-miler is popular with mountain bikers and dayhikers, crossing limestone hills and following the Meramec River to a parkland with bison and elk.

With views at every turn, this 22.8-mile, 3-day Trinity Alps route visits soaring spires of bleached granite and a basin full of shimmering lakes.

Scale rugged coastal hills to a solitary peak in the Santa Ynez Mountains on this 6.7-mile loop. Bonus: Soak in the natural hot springs.

See trees older than the Bible, the only glacier in Nevada, and more on this 4.4-miler through the rippling Snake Range of eastern Nevada.

This 4.8-mile dayhike takes you past rare plants as you climb 1,200 feet to a summit with knockout views from Mexico to the Pacific.

Seaside waterfalls, campsites, and swimming lakes earn this 10.4-mile route in Point Reyes National Seashore a 5-star rating among big-city hikes.

On this 11.9-mile loop in Mohican State Park, stride past waterfalls, up ridgetops, and along streams to a water-carved gorge with 300-foot walls.

Trek over hardwood ridges and glacial formations on this 4.5-miler once covered in mile-thick sheets of ice. Locals call it one of Milwaukee's best.

This 4.6-mile out-and-back twists through a red rock canyon ending at a towering rock monolith in Colorado National Monument.

Hike 11.2 miles and learn some local place names on this out-and-back to a secluded meadow high in the Sandia Mountains.

On this 4.4-mile dayhike, the five-star views go on and on as you climb through blooming meadows and up a scree slope to the Bridger Range's high point.

Trek across vibrant wildflower meadows to two alpine lakes tucked into a rocky chasm below Mt. Massive on this 5.8 miler outside Leadville.

This popular 8.9-mile lasso loop crosses mesa and cacti country near Weavers Needle, whose shadow allegedly leads treasure seekers to a lost gold stash.

Stand in three states, then summit a wooded peak while passing the highest hill in Connecticut on this 4-mile dayhike in the Taconic Mountains.

This 7.6-miler loops under Mt. Timpanogos through a rugged canyon and high meadows to a smaller (just as gorgeous) summit in the Wasatch Range.

On this 7-mile paddling route, you'll tour the inner reaches of Chesapeake Bay, passing riverbanks and wooded wetlands with picturesque trails.

This 4-mile loop circles the city's most prominent ridge, visits a 1661 hideout, and rewards a light effort with dramatic views of New Haven Harbor.

Check out the largest patch of alpine tundra in Vermont on this 4.8-mile out-and-back to the highest mountain in the state.

If you like the sound of raging whitewater, this less-traveled 6.4-mile route offers plenty of acoustical inspiration and scenic Potomac River views.

With its forested route and views of a stunning lake ringed by peaks, this 8.6-miler is a first-rate snapshot of the gorgeous Sawtooth Wilderness.

Watch waves crash and boom, migrating gray whales spout, and huge spruces sway on a 5-mile out-and-back to an incredible oceanside overlook.

This 6.8-mile day or overnight is part Northwest forest and part desert, highlighted by a host of birds and cliffs rising above a rushing creek.

This 3.9-mile loop provides a quick escape from the city, offering miles of sandy shoreline, wooded trails, and magnificent vistas.

During this 8.4-mile hike, you'll see lush moss, forest wildflowers, rushing rivers, and roaring waterfalls on your way to a low-elevation lake.

Take a weekend for this 21.8-miler, which features a stout 3,000-foot climb up into the foothills and mountains of the San Rafael Wilderness.

Over the course of 6 miles, you'll see wild horses, tag a summit with stellar desert views, and, if you're up for it, return via an off-trail route.

This 9.8-miler reveals the hard-knock life of the West--an old cowboy camp with jailhouse. Also, check out the rare shrimp in seasonal pools.

Get to know the Mountains-to-Sea Trail while spiking your adrenaline on this 4.8-mile dayhike among the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi.

Take a day or a three-day weekend for a challenging 20.2-mile climb to the roof of the Lower 48, and see why Muir called it a paradise of rock and light.

Dotted with place names like Crooked Dog Gap and Rough Creek, this 15.5-mile route mixes rugged ridgeline climbs and quiet riverside campsites.

Tag the two highest peaks in South Carolina on this 17.2-mile out-and-back with overlooks, waterfalls, and a homestead crumbled by weather and time.

Go 5 or 10 miles on this dayhike, which features skyline views of migrating hawks, the Shenandoah River Valley, and nearby towns.

This 12-miler hits the best of Bays Mountain Park: waterfalls, high ridges with fire-tower views, a lake, and lush forests frequented by deer.

Spend some quality time down by a shady river pinched between two mountain ranges on this 7-mile out-and-back in Ouachita National Forest.

Hike 4.9 miles into wooded pockets colored with summer wildflowers along the hills of Paint Creek, where white-tailed deer congregate at sunset.

On this 6.8-mile loop, you'll find reclaimed prairies, sacred Indian grounds, and scenic overlooks of the lakes and rivers surrounding St. Louis.

A convenient city escape along the St. Croix River, this easy 4-mile hike in Wild River State Park skirts healthy wetlands with prime waterfowl viewing.

Not even Dorothy would recognize the Flint Hills, where the prairie breaks from its flat-as-a-pancake routine on this 4.6-miler to photogenic outcrops.

A stunning new 80-mile hike in the Rockies' top spot for big backpacking adventures.

Dayhike 5 to 15 miles through the golden hills above the city. The longer haul leads to a peak with fine views of the Sandias.

Just a short bus ride from downtown, this 5.1-mile dayhike climbs loops around the panoramic ridgelines of Indian Mountain.

Take the city's light rail to this 4-mile lollipop loop and a high point above the Great Salt Lake and Wasatch foothills.

Leave your car at home: To explore Continental Divide country, you only need a bus ticket and your bike.

Ride Amtrak to Glacier's back door, then hike this 19.7-miler past glacial lakes and cascades and over two gorgeous passes.

Hit this 15-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail via train and bus for sprawling views and Massachusetts' high point.

Hop off the bus for a 12.6-miler through red-maple swamps and old-growth forest filled with deer, grouse, and turkeys.

This 10-mile out-and-back climbs a summit with far-reaching views and ends at a rustic Appalachian Trail shelter.

Deep within Manhattan's famed 843-acre greenspace, this 4.1-mile escape offers a quick break from the daily grind.

Don't miss the wildflower show--it's easy to catch a city bus to the start of a 4.2-mile stroll in Tryon Creek State Park.

Skip the tourist spots and take the bus to Greenbelt Park for a 5.4-mile loop through a quiet, leafy urban forest.

This mostly forested loop climbs 1,250 feet to three misty waterfalls and dynamite views of the Olympic Mountains.

This multiday paddle tours a small island, scenic coves, and tops things off with a 4.8-mile hike to a lake in Larrabee State Park.

Your choice: Hike or paddle through a giant wetland refuge with two lakes, more than 100 bird species, and a host of native trees, including century-old Oregon ashes.

Ride a bus to a 2.3-mile tour of Guilford Courthouse, scene of a turning-point battle in the American Revolution.

Wooded lakeshores. Civil War hotspots. A giant granite mountain. This 7.4-mile hike tops out with peerless views of rolling green Piedmont from the summit of an open dome east of Atlanta.

This figure-8 connects two parks on its 3.7-mile course under hardwood canopies and past a mini-wetland teeming with life.

Hop a train for a weekend on Blue Ridge trails near the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Waterfalls, swimming holes, and shady lunch spots highlight this 10.4-miler, just a short bus ride from downtown.

Need an after-work escape? Minutes from the capital are 5.7 miles of tranquil trails along the Potomac River and C&O Canal.

Take a bus to the start of this 6.2-mile stroll through Fort Harrison State Park's secluded woods and creek-split hills.

Catch the light rail to this loop to see the confluence of two rivers and circle a lush island in the heart of the Twin Cities.